How Cooper Flagg’s Injury Affects the 2025 NBA Draft

In Thursday’s ACC Tournament bout with Georgia Tech, Duke superstar Cooper Flagg launched himself for a board and prepared for the fast for the fast break.

Unfortunately, he landed on the foot of a Georgia Tech defender, rolling his ankle and promptly walking off the floor gingerly. After being carried to the locker-room by teammates, he was seen in a wheelchair on his way to get X-rays as basketball fans everywhere held their breath.

Flagg’s X-ray’s came back negative per head coach Jon Sheyer, and the collegiate superstar eventually re-joined his team on the bench. While it seems major injury was avoided, Flagg’s injury could still have a ripple effect on the 2025 NBA Draft as a whole.

Having averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks across his 31 games with the Blue Devils, Flagg’s No. 1 stock is all but cemented. He’s well on his way to earning the National Player of the Year Award, and even a major injury likely wouldn’t have kept teams from saying his name first on draft night 2025.

But Flagg missing time in any capacity, be it the ACC or NCAA Tournament, could affect the stock of Duke players like Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and even Isaiah Evans.

We’ve already seen some of those ripples take place, as Knueppel and Maluach stepped up in a big way against Georgia Tech once Flagg went down. Knueppel finished with 28 points and eight assists, and Maluach finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and four blocks in helping the Blue Devils to a gritty, eight-point win.

Duke is fully capable of continuing its success to some degree without Flagg. And the improved play of Knueppel and Maluach in this time period could have a change on their stock at the last second.

Duke next takes on North Carolina at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, March 14, in the ACC Tournament to punch its ticket to the final. There’s been no news yet on Flagg’s status, but there’s likely a slim chance he plays given how recent his injury was and the impending March Madness slate.